DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: I'M BACK, AND I HAVE BROUGHT CHAPTER 13 WITH ME FROM "JUST AROUND THE RIVERBEND"!
I don't have much to say today, except THREE things:
(1.) I'd like to Thank all of you who have been Reviewing lately. THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUR REVIEWS HELP A LOT MORE THAN YOU REALIZE!
(2.) I am REALLY Excited about the newest trailer for "Kingdom Hearts 3". After all, who saw it coming? It seemed NOTHING was going to be shown at E3. Square Enix sure surprised A LOT OF US! The Tea-Cup Ride was a Nice Addition - AS WAS WHEN THEY REVEALED THE WORLD OF TANGLED! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER (OR SO) FOR MORE NEWS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF "KINGDOM HEARTS 3"!
(3.) I went to Niagara Falls the day before I started writing this Chapter. "Why did I mention that", you ask? You shall have to READ ON TO FIND OUT!
IT'S TIME TO DIVE INTO THE NEXT WORLD! LET'S GO! AND PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, TOO! I THINK DONALD DUCK IS GETTING UPSET THAT HE HAS NOT RECIEVED A REVIEW ABOUT HIM - YET!
CHAPTER 13
The Free-Spirited Native Princess
Herbie soared through the bluish-green space. The world of Ancient Empire was long out of sight. The ride was rather steady, considering Launchpad was at the controls. "This ship's like the Thunderquack," he commented every few minutes. "It's nothing but smooth flying from here."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy paid the pilot no mind. They were gathered around in the backseat, leaning over one of the tray tables. Lying on it were the slightly crumpled pieces of Sora's cellular phone. A small toolbox was placed on the seat beside the three and Goofy was trying to use a screwdriver to remove something. Donald had a special-designed "soft hammer", while Sora was watching with anticipation.
Jiminy was standing on the table gazing at the pieces. His hand on his chin as though in deep thought. "Hmm," the cricket pondered aloud. "I don't know, Sora. I'm afraid your gadget is done for."
"No way!" Sora stated in a firm voice. "I cannot go home without my phone! What will my mom say?"
"May-bee she'll already know about Organization XIII," Goofy suggested, glancing over. "May-bee that there guy was once her friend in a former life."
Sora shook his head. "I don't think so. He said he was 'Lea's ex-friend'. He's probably from whatever world Axel — I mean Lea is from."
Donald stopped pounding the broken pieces back into shape. He gazed at the brown-headed young man in perplexity. "Who's 'Lea'?"
"I remember," Goofy spoke up. "Lea was Axel — you know, thuh guy from Organization XIII who helped us. He's at thuh Radiant Garden now."
Donald slapped himself in the face. To Sora, this meant the duck magician had completely forgotten who Lea was. How this was possible, he didn't know. After all, while he was a Nobody, the fiery-haired man had kidnapped Kairi from the islands. Much later, Sora had learned from Kairi how Axel had only wanted to keep the young woman safely away from Saïx — a dangerous member of Organization XIII. Clearly, Axel had been a good member of the Organization, unlike the many others. He had even saved Sora, Donald, and Goofy from numerous Nobodies while the three had been walking through a dark portal. To further protect them, he had unleashed all his fire power in a single attack to terminate all those enemies. As a result, he had slowly faded back into the Darkness. Sora had learned from Axel how the latter had only wanted to see his friend, Roxas, again.
Sora started to feel bad for Axel. Why hadn't he tried to help the former member of Organization XIII get what he had wanted? It probably had something to do with the fact he didn't know who Roxas was at the time.
'But I knew you, Sora — you, Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Kairi… '
Sora nearly leapt out of his seat and bumped his head onto the ceiling. Had he just heard his own Nobody speaking?! That was impossible! …Or was it?
"What is it?" he inquired in a soft voice.
There was no answer.
"A-Hyuck!" Goofy suddenly declared. "All done!"
Sora mind instantly whirled back to the tray table. To his amazement and relief, there was his cellular phone — back in one piece. Its navy-blue color and golden buttons had never looked nicer. The thin, bright green antennae still stuck out the top.
"Yes!" Sora cheered as he reached over to grab the device. "Now my mom will never know what happened!"
He picked up the phone as his famous smile appeared. He spun the phone around to the other side. His heart sank. The screen was cracked in various spots.
"Sorry, Sora," Donald apologized. "It was an accident, and now I have seven years of bad luck." He paused. "If it was a mirror."
"Gawrsh," Goofy said. "May-bee you should just tape it together."
Sora shook his head. The cracks were small, but still noticeable. He had to accept the truth. He would have to tell his mom about it.
With a deep sigh, Sora leaned back in his seat and hit the recline button. The last time he had told his mom bad news, she had nearly had a panic attack. That had been the evening after he had gone home with Violet just after the "Mark of Mastery Exam" had ended a few months ago. Perhaps this news could wait until tomorrow or the next day… or the day after that… or two years from now.
"Thanks anyway, guys," Sora told the others. Donald and Goofy nodded in return. With another sigh, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder placed the phone back into his pocket. He gazed towards the windshield; the colorful space was all there was in sight — other than countless stars.
"How much longer until we reach the next world?" he called.
"I don't know," Launchpad called back from the driver's seat. "I think Herbie does, but he's not saying."
A bright flash of light soared past the Gummi Ship so quickly, the whole ship rocked. Donald and Goofy paused the movie they had just turned on and held on. Sora felt his seat buckle a little as he de-reclined it. "Wha—?!" he said.
Launchpad had both hands on the steering wheel. "We almost hit that comet," he informed everyone else. "But no worry! We're just sliding a little off course."
As the words left the pilot's mouth, Herbie jolted to the right so rapidly, the ship's floor had become a steady incline. "Make that a lot off course."
Launchpad clung to the steering wheel. He turned it to the left with all his might, but Herbie continued to list to the left. The racecar-turned-Gummi ship was willingly heading to the left. The ship and pilot started to fight each other for the controls. The ride hastily became bouncier. The turbulence grew as Herbie flew into view of a small, greenish-blue star.
Before Sora could move, his seatbelt shook loose as he began bouncing about the cockpit. Donald and Goofy were seconds behind. They shouted in complete alarm as they slammed into seats, the ceiling, and the windows. Launchpad continued to wrestle with the ship's controls despite how hard Herbie tried to resist him.
The Gummi Ship spiraled into the view of the world. Clouds soared past the group's eyes as they continued the rough descent down, down, down below.
Sora was starting to feel just as he had when he and Donald had fought over the Gummi Ship's controls and crash-landed into the Deep Jungle. Sora had fallen out of the escape hatch and landed head-first into the wooden tree-house. He had then been attacked by a leopard named Sabor and rescued by a man named Tarzan. Now, it looked like the group was facing a similar situation as they plunged into the world below.
A view of countless trees dotting a landscape came into view. In the middle of the forest was a large, long river. Launchpad pulled back on the controls and guided Herbie to the top of a cliff edge. The modified racecar landed on the edge of a tall waterfall. Down below, a giant pool of water connecting the river downstream could be seen. Herbie was just teetering on the edge of the falls.
"Aw gee," Launchpad complained as he pounded the steering wheel in irritation. "Another chance to crash, and I blew it."
The pilot's pounding caused Herbie to start tipping. The whole ship leaned over the falls before nose-diving over the edge. Donald and Goofy screamed in panic while Sora stared as speechless as he'd been in years. The water came closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer….
SPLASH!
Herbie's doors burst open, sending Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy flying out into the water. The little cricket grabbed Sora's hoodie and held on. Launchpad remained in the driver's seat as his seatbelt straps had held tight.
Sora gradually opened his eyes and raised his head. He shook his head, feeling droplets of water flying every which way. He realized he was lying face-first on a muddy riverbank. He used his hands to prop himself up and looked upwards. To his surprise, he was on the edge of a lush, green forest of what appeared to be thick, old pine trees. A brown hawk swooped through sky above. The scent of fresh water combined with pine needles filled the air. The sounds of the raging waterfall following the impact with the river below still echoed in his ears.
"Man," he murmured softly. "Now I know what's it like to go over Niagara Falls… "
He looked to his left. There was Donald, lying sideways on the riverbank. The duck was only starting to move. Goofy was beyond the two, lying on his back. He was yawning and stretching and struggling to open his eyes.
Sora nodded at the two and carefully clambered to his feet. The duck and tall dog did the same. Sora glanced to the right and saw Herbie had drifted over to the bank. He rushed over, Donald and Goofy directly behind.
Sora was relieved to see Launchpad climbing out of the vehicle, though in a bit of a daze. "Another successful crash! That makes… 4,727 crash-landings!"
Sora shook his head. He heard Donald yelling at the pilot. "What's the big idea, ya big palooka?! You got us stranded!"
As Donald continued to scold Launchpad, Sora saw what the duck was referring to. Herbie had a pair of wings that were bent at odd angles. Why hadn't he noticed those before?
"How long have these been here?" he asked Goofy.
"Well," Goofy tried to explain. "Them wings have been there ever since we left thuh Radiant Garden. We ain't landed in another world till now."
Sora gave a nod of understanding. No wonder he didn't remember the wings! They hadn't been there the whole time. Chances were, Herbie only used them during flight. Whenever he landed, they probably folded up for storage. Yet, what they'd just gone through had been a crash-landing. That was why the wings were still out — and now they were damaged, too.
That was not all the damage he saw. Floating on the edge of the river were a handful of Gummi blocks, a laser cannon (which had been turned off), and a piece of armor. The left side of the windshield was cracked a little the rear tire on the same side was flat.
Herbie honked at Launchpad with anger. The pilot only shrugged. "Sorry, Herbie. How about we put you back together?"
"I'll do it!" Donald announced, shoving the pilot backwards on the riverbank.
"Yeow!" Launchpad hollered as he fell into the river. He sat up in a hurry, a salmon-looking fish in his mouth. He spat it out and scowled. "Talk about your fresh seafood."
Sora shook his head. He glanced around the immediate area. The landscape seemed so peaceful. There weren't any Heartless in sight. Not a single trace of Darkness either. It was clear to him there was no need to stay in this world any longer. The gateway had probably not been referring to it… had it?
Spotting a towering tree a few feet away, the spikey, brown-haired youth marched over and jumped. He grabbed the lowest branch and climbed up. Branch by branch, he clambered up the tree. Good thing he had climbed the palm trees many times back on the islands.
When he reached the top, Sora looked around. "Whoa!" he awed. Hillsides of forest could be seen in almost every direction. The sounds of various birdcalls filled the air. In one particular direction, the distant view of a massive ocean could be seen. Slightly to the left and closer in, a thin pillar of smoke rose from the trees. There was no indication of any forest fires, which allowed the young man to assume someone's campfire was responsible. No Heartless were in sight.
"This place is amazing," he concluded. Before he could start back down, a tiny, green hummingbird soared over in a hurry. The animal glowered at Sora like he was up to no good. Sora stared at the animal in surprise. It looked just like the one he'd seen in Phoebe's photograph back in the Radiant Garden.
The hummingbird flew off a second after. Sora shrugged a little before clambering down the tree one branch at a time. He reached the ground in time to hear Donald complaining (as usual).
"I cannot believe this! The wing is bent badly! We need some help straightening it out."
Sora approached the group. Donald was knelt before Herbie's left wing with a hammer or two in his hands. The toolbox was placed on the upper bank beside the duck's webbed feet. Launchpad and Goofy were standing beside.
"I did see a village downriver," Launchpad informed the group. "I saw it just before we went over the Niagara Falls's daughter."
"Where is it?" Sora asked.
Launchpad pointed through the trees beyond Herbie. "That way," he replied.
Sora gazed into the forest. Fortunately, no small plants were growing around, which meant there would be nothing major interfering with them when they walked through. "C'mon," he said to the other three. "Let's go get some help."
"Take that big palooka," Donald said, pointing to Launchpad with a glare. "I'll stay here with Goofy."
Sora was a little confused. Had Donald finally accepted Goofy? Less than ten hours ago, he had been refusing to cooperate with the knight, let along Launchpad. So much must have taken place in the last world — stuff in which he was completely in the dark. He needed to pay more attention to what else was going on.
"Okay," Sora agreed, not wanting to argue as it would lead to nowhere. He turned to face Launchpad. "Let's get going."
Launchpad grinned. "Lead the way!"
Sora smiled as he led the pilot into the forest. The pleasant scent of freshly-fallen pine needles flooded the woods as the two strolled on through them. Sora, Launchpad, Donald, and Goofy had crash-landed into the world of Jamestowne.
The forest seemed endless. The further along Sora and Launchpad went, the denser the trees got. At times, they lost sight of the river altogether. The smell had slowly become greater and the woods were thicker.
"Man," Sora said as the forest continued to deepen. "How much further to this village?"
Launchpad paused in thought. "I can't remember. I only saw it for a moment."
Sora sighed deeply. Chances were, the pilot and him were stuck in the middle of a massive forest with nowhere to go. They could wander around for days and still find nothing. Other worlds needed help and they couldn't get there unless Herbie was fixed.
The loud sounds of drum beating in the distance seized the pair's attention. A series of voices followed it. "Hega, hega, ya-hi-ye-hega! Ya-hi-ye-ne-he hega!"
A loud horn filled the air. Sora and Launchpad jumped. "What was that?" Sora inquired.
"Sounded like a shell horn," Launchpad suggested. "Or maybe a foghorn. They both sound the same."
The voices continued. "Hega, hega, ya-hi-ye-hega! Ya-hi-ye-ne-he hega!"
As another loud horn echoed about, Sora made up his mind. "Let's check it out."
The Keyblader led the way through the trees. Launchpad was directly behind him. The beating of the drums steadily grew louder. It was not long before the forest opened into a large clearing. Peering through the foliage, Sora could not believe his eyes.
The clearing was located along the side of the river at its smoothest point. There was a village there, just like Launchpad had claimed. However, it was not what Sora had been expecting. The buildings were made of wooden poles and what seemed to be animal skin. They were wigwams. Several were set in neat rows on one end of the village. Open areas for large bonfires were located throughout the entire community. Smoke was drifting into the air.
Sora's eyes lit up. So this is where the smoke had originated! He had seen a mere glimpse of the village from above and didn't even realize it. He also took note of how the people had tan skin and were willing clothing made from animal skins. Sora automatically knew they were a native tribe just from a distance. He had heard the term "Indian" many times at school, but didn't like the word itself. To him, people were people — regardless of how they looked.
A large group of people were gathered around one particularly huge wigwam. Before Sora and Launchpad's eyes, a tall, muscular man stepped outside. Unlike the other people, this man had a black hair covered by a feathered headdress, a buckskin cape, and was holding a wooden staff. Sora was easily convinced this was the tribal chief.
The chief stood outside the building and faced everyone. "These white men are dangerous," he announced. "No one is to go near them."
Sora's eyes lit up all the more. "White men"? He knew from his history homework (though his mom had to walk him through it) that was what natives had often called the European explorers. Of course, Sora himself had never seen a real native tribe — until now. Then again, he had seen an ancient civilization that was still alive. Perhaps there were other worlds where native tribes and ancient civilizations still existed.
The cranked wheels in his mind continued to turn. He wondered if the chief was saying some strangers were using Heartless. How would he find out? There was only one thing to do.
"Let's get closer," Sora whispered to Launchpad.
Launchpad looked worried. "You sure that's a good idea? Those guys could be cannibals! I've seen plenty working for Mister McDee!"
Sora shook his head and pulled the pilot out of the trees. He led the way down a steep hill towards the crowd. As the two grew closer, a loud scream filled the air. People started shouting and then running. Sora and Launchpad were bumped into several times as the crowd of people dashed past them.
"What in the world?" Sora said once the crowd had dispersed.
Launchpad stared straight ahead. "It's those monsters again!"
Sora spun around. He stared in shock. In the middle of the area before the large wigwam, several black creatures were yellow eyes, antennae, and claws were roaming around trying to attack the few people were remained. At once, a group of purple creatures shaped like miniature falcons with bluish wings, red eyes, and a heart-shaped symbol on their chests appeared in the air. The newer monsters swooped through the air and forced the people cowering behind some trees to duck lower.
"Heartless!" Sora yelled in recognition. He summoned his Keyblade and charged at the enemies. Launchpad stared as the young man jumped into the middle of the horde. Sora glared at the Heartless as they started to surround him.
One particular Shadow Heartless jumped into the air. Sora swung his weapon and slashed it out of existence. A few others tried to get the jump on him, but Sora was moving too swiftly for them. He gave a grin. The Heartless were not putting up much of a fight.
Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw a young woman peeking out from behind a tree. Two of the falcon-shaped Heartless saw her and soared over. Sora was so alarmed, he leapt a little into the air and slid across the ground like it was a handrail. He stuck his Keyblade into the ground and caused a light-bluish line to form. When he reached the Heartless, he saw most of the falcon Heartless had flown over to attack the spikey-haired Keyblader.
"Try this!" Sora declared as his Keyblade glowed.
A flash of magic followed before Sora's Keyblade vanished and he was standing upon what seemed to be a red, white, and blue-colored surfboard, only with wheels. The board had a motor on it and contained an image of Mickey Mouse's head and ears. Riding the board, Sora slid into the Heartless and leaped into the air before spinning around. A small whirlwind formed, throwing the Heartless every which way. In turn, Sora raced his board after each of them and sent them spiraling in circles. Several Heartless went spinning straight into trees and were eliminated.
Only a few more Heartless remained. Sora's board transformed back in his Keyblade. He was about to deliver a few more hits when a large, muscular man ran over and jumped into the fray.
"Look out!" Sora shouted.
His warning went unheard. The man pulled out a tomahawk and lashed it out at the Heartless repeatedly. The Heartless were destroyed in no time. That's when the Shadow Heartless swarmed over. Sora started to fight while the unknown man continued to attack the monsters charging at the young woman behind the tree. Sora was both startled and amazed. Here was someone were ferociously attacked the Heartless without any fear whatsoever.
Sora started to pant. This was really wearing him out. Without warning, he saw Launchpad hop over and pull out a blackish-purple gun. The pilot fired the weapon at several Heartless and caused the enemies to vaporize in a cloud of gas.
"Launchpad?!" Sora declared. "What are you—?!"
"It's one of D.W.'s gas-guns," Launchpad answered.
Sora nodded and the two continued to fight. It only took another two minutes before all the Heartless had been eliminated.
Sora approached the large man who'd fought with him. "You're really good," he said. "Who are you?"
The man gazed at the seventeen-year-old with a stern look. "Are you one of those invaders?" he demanded.
Sora looked lost. "Huh?"
The man shook his head. "I have my eyes on you."
Sora crossed his arms. Why did it seem like this man was being rude? Was he really as judgmental as he sounded? He didn't know and didn't really want to know.
"Kocoum," a voice said. Sora, the man, and Launchpad all turned to see the tribal chief approaching them. "Where is my daughter?"
The man, who Sora now knew was named Kocoum, sighed. "I have not found her yet."
The chief sighed and looked down. He saw Sora and Launchpad standing beside the warrior. "Who are you two?"
"I'm Sora," Sora said.
"The name's Launchpad McQuack," Launchpad announced.
The chief smiled. "You are not one of those beasts. You are good, loyal to others, and smart. Thank you for protecting us."
Sora smiled as he placed his hands behind his head. Lately, he had received a few compliments, as well as a few insults. He wasn't used to such stuff. "Sure, don't mention it."
"Chief Powhatan," Kocoum stated. "What makes you so sure we can trust these outsiders?"
"They mean well," the chief replied. "Perhaps they can be of some help to us."
"Yeah," Sora nodded. "But first, I want to know something." The chief and Kocoum turned to face the young man. "How long have the Heartless been running around?"
"What are these 'Heartless' you speak of?" the chief questioned.
Sora hesitated in his reply. "Well… they were those monsters we just fought — the ones attacking everyone."
The chief nodded. "Come inside. We will explain everything to you two."
Sora and Launchpad looked at each other. They shrugged and followed the tribal chief and Kocoum into the large wigwam.
The interior of the wigwam was darker than Sora expected. The only light came from the doorway, a hole above, and a small, burning fire in the middle of the room. The hole in the ceiling allowed the smoke from the fire to escape. A number of woven benches were situated on one side of the room. The wooden frame of the structure appeared to be a gigantic cage over the group. There was a strange smell coming from somewhere inside. The building made Sora feel both cozy and uneasy at the same time.
A woven stool was located on the far wall from where Sora and Launchpad stood. Seated in it was an elderly man with long, gray hair. His skin tone was only slightly tanned. He reminded Sora of Rafiki, the monkey-shaman he'd met in the Pride Lands almost a year ago.
Chief Powhatan stood beside the elderly man while Kocoum stood beside Sora. To Sora, the warrior looked a little like a giant.
"You wish to know more about these strangers we call 'white men'," the chief said to Sora and Launchpad.
The spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder and duck-pilot nodded. Sora took notice of the young woman he'd seen the Heartless charging at — the one who'd been hiding behind the tree. Like the others, she had tan skin and was barefoot. She sported small black eyes, a small nose and mouth, and long black hair tied up in a bun. Her outfit consisted of a two-piece buckskin outfit which included a crop top and skirt. She also had a thin white necklace around her neck.
Powhatan turned his eyes to the elderly man. "Kekata, tell them what you saw."
Kekata rose from his stool and carefully stepped up to the fire. He started chanting in a language Sora didn't know. The tribal shaman reached into his cloak and pulled out a small handful of what looked like herbs. He dumped them onto the fire.
"Our shores have been invaded by some very strange creatures," Kekata informed Sora and Launchpad.
Before everyone's eyes, the shaman raised his hands into the air. A huge cloud of smoke and magic filled the air near the ceiling. In it, an image of atypical-looking figures appeared. "These are not men like us," Kekata continued. "But strange beasts with bodies that shine like the sun and weapons that breathe fire. Some are as black as night with glowing eyes like a firefly."
One of the figures held up a blurry item and pointed it upwards. A flicker of flame came from it. Several shadowy creatures appeared around the figures. Sora and Launchpad both gulped with anxiety. To Sora, they strongly resembled the Heartless soldiers he'd dealt with in the last world. The creatures down below looked exactly like Heartless.
"They'll prowl the earth like ravenous wolves — consuming everything in their path," Kekata added before the figures transformed into a pack of wolves and swirled around the room. The smoke circled Kocoum's shoulders for a moment before it dissipated. Sora watched in surprise, wondering if this meant anything.
Kocoum didn't seem to notice. "Chief Powhatan," he declared. "I will say it again. I will lead a group of warriors to attack. We will destroy these invaders — the same way we destroyed the Massawomecks!"
"The 'Mesa-what-its'?" Launchpad inquired.
Kocoum clenched his fist and scowled at the duck-pilot. "The Massawomecks. They were a tribe who threatened to burn our villages to the ground."
Sora shook his head. He could tell Goofy's silliness was already growing onto Launchpad's personality. It probably had been happening for quite some time, but he hadn't noticed until now. Sooner or later, Launchpad would turn into Goofy. Likewise, Goofy might become Launchpad, too.
Powhatan raised his hand. "Kocoum, I told you before," he said. "In that battle, we knew how to fight our enemy, but these white men are still very strange to us. For all we know, they could be using these monsters Sora said are called 'Heartless'."
Kocoum stepped back a couple steps. Sora decided it was his turn to speak. "Maybe my friends and I could help. We've fought the Heartless many times. We can handle 'em."
"Who are these friends you speak of?" the chief asked.
Sora gestured to Launchpad. "Well, there's Launchpad. Then there's also Donald and Goofy. They're busy fixing our ship. I'm sure they'll want to help you out."
There was a long pause as Powhatan glanced to the side. He gazed back up. "I have decided. Sora, you and your friends may help us."
Sora nodded. He was eager to start fighting Heartless everywhere. Chances were, the gateway he'd unlocked earlier had led his team to this particular world after all.
"This is not a good idea," Kocoum stated in a very firm voice. "We do not know these outsiders. How can we trust them?"
Sora sighed, knowing the warrior was just being stubborn.
"Chief Powhatan," the young woman who'd come in late spoke up. "I… I can't find Pocahontas."
Powhatan sighed. Sora looked puzzled. "Pocahontas?" the latter asked.
"My daughter," the chief informed the young man. "I wonder where she has gone. It is not safe outside the village."
Kekata gave a chuckle. "You know Pocahontas," he told Powhatan. "She has her mother's spirit. She goes wherever the wind takes her."
"What 'wind'?" Launchpad said. He licked his right index finger and held it in the air. "There's no wind in here — not even a breeze. No wonder it feels like a toaster oven."
Everyone seemed to stare at the pilot. Then Powhatan turned to Sora. "Please, find my daughter, Pocahontas."
Sora nodded. "I will, don't worry."
Sora and Launchpad both stepped outside the wigwam. As they started for the forest, the young woman from before came rushed after them. They turned around to face her.
"What is it?" Sora asked.
"It is about Pocahontas," the woman said. "She's my best friend. I don't want anything to happen to her."
Sora crossed his arms. He could tell this woman — whoever she was — cared about her friends just like Riku and him cared about their friends and each other. For some reason, he had the feeling this woman was a lot like Riku while the one he hadn't met (Pocahontas) was a lot like he was.
"Okay," Sora said with a nod. "I promise, I'll bring Pocahontas back, miss… "
"Nakoma," the woman said with a smile. "Pocahontas and I grew up together."
Sora nodded. There was something else the two women had in common with Riku and himself. With a wave, Sora and Launchpad both strolled into forest. They had two things to do. First, they would check in on Donald and Goofy. After that, they would locate the native woman, Pocahontas.
Sora and Launchpad had been gone for nearly two hours. Donald continued to hammer away at the wing. He had made a little progress, which was a lot more than if Launchpad had stuck around. In reality, no help was needed to repair Herbie. Donald had just wanted to get rid of Launchpad in the meantime. What better way to do so than with Sora?
"Goofy?" the duck said as he looked up from the wing. "Where's the next block?"
"Comin' right up!" Goofy called over. Donald turned around. There was the tall, hunched over, clumsy Captain of the Royal Guard. He was scooping up the last leftover Gummi block from the riverbank and carrying it over. As he drew close, he tripped on a root sticking out of the mud and fell down. The block went flying and bounced off Donald's head.
"Ouch!" the duck groaned upon impact. He hopped onto his feet and glared at Goofy. "What's the big idea?!"
"Sorry," Goofy muttered from where he lay on the ground. The block suddenly landed back in his hands. "A-Hyuck! What comes up, always comes down."
Donald had heard enough. He reached over and snatched the block. "Gimme that!"
The duck marched back up to Herbie and knelt down to just below the wing. He inserted the block into a gaping hole, which the block fit into with perfection. He started to hammer it into place when a blur of green movement rushed past. Donald shrugged and went back to work. He was almost done hammering when the blur went by again. Then again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. At this rate, it was going to drive his in circles and make him dizzy.
"What the heck is going on?" Donald demanded to know. The blur went by and stopped. To the duck's surprise, it was tiny green hummingbird. The animal glowed at him like he was a criminal. This was not what Donald ever wanted to see.
"Go away," he snapped at the bird. The creature remained hovering by. "I said 'go away'!"
The hummingbird flew up after a couple of squeaks. Donald sighed deeply before returning to his work.
"Hey Donald, look what I found," Goofy announced as he walked over.
Donald turned to see the knight. His mouth fell open. There in Goofy's hand was a small, green purse. "A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled, pointing at the item. "Pretty."
To Donald, this was not a "pretty" sight. He knew he didn't have a purse. Nor did Goofy or Launchpad. Of course, Sora never had one. It was too large to be Jiminy's. This meant only one thing, and the duck hated to admit it was true.
There had been a stowaway. And it was a girl. The only questions left were, who? And why?
"Where did you get that?" Donald asked.
"It was in thuh trunk," Goofy explained. "Kinda pretty, too."
Donald sighed. The stowaway had probably escaped, whoever she was. He went back to work. He caught a glimpse of Goofy sitting on the riverbank. The knight pulled a sandwich out of one of his vest pockets, unzipped the wrapper, and took a bite. He chewed so loudly, Donald had to cover his ears. He pulled out a pair of ear-protectors from the toolbox by his feet and slipped them on. Then he resumed his work.
Goofy took a second bite of his sandwich. He could feel the jelly and cream cheese against his teeth as he chewed. He was about to take a third bite when a raccoon jumped out of the trees and snatched it. Goofy leapt onto his feet and pointed at the half-eaten sandwich in the animal's claws. "Hey! That's mine!"
Goofy hurried after the critter. The raccoon waved goodbye before placing the sandwich in its mouth and dashing down the riverbank. Goofy was seconds behind him.
Donald could still hear Goofy's footsteps. He glanced back and saw the knight chasing the raccoon around the riverbank. He had to laugh. He turned back to his work when a tiny creature swooped over and glowered at him.
The hummingbird was back.
"Get outta here!" Donald snapped as he swiped the hammer at the animal. The hummingbird continued to squeak at him like it was yelling. Donald had to step back to avoid the creature's pointy mouth. He stepped so far, he tripped over the root Goofy had earlier and tumbled off the riverbank.
With a SPLASH, Donald landed in the river. He sat up, finding a fish in his mouth. The taste of Launchpad's breath was on it, indicating it was the same fish from before. The hummingbird was laughing like crazy. Donald glared at the little animal. He spat out the fish. "What's the big idea?!"
The block Goofy had "given" to Donald popped off the ship and bounced off Donald's head. "Ouch!"
It was then Sora and Launchpad appeared from the forest. Donald slapped his face. "Oh no… "
Sora had to shake his head. Herbie was still in pieces, only most of him was already put back together. Goofy was chasing a light-grey raccoon around and around. Seeing the sandwich in the animal's mouth, Sora knew why. He also saw Donald lying in the river as a tiny hummingbird laughed away.
Sora froze. The hummingbird was the same hummingbird he had seen earlier in the treetops. Could it be just a coincidence? He doubted it. It was exactly the same hummingbird from Phoebe's photograph. The raccoon also looked just like the one from the picture, too.
He smiled, certain these were the same two from the picture. The spikey-headed Keyblader strode forwards with a smile. "Hey, you two!" he called to the animals.
Goofy thought he was talking to him and Donald. "Hey, Sora! Didja find the villy-ige?"
Sora nodded. He placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah, well… it's not the kind of village you're thinking of. This place is full of tribal lands."
Donald had just finished swimming to shore when his ears perked up to Sora's words. He swung his head around with a frightened look on his face. "There are Indians here?!"
Sora shook his head. The duck was probably worried about nothing. Well… maybe almost nothing. Donald tended to focus more on Goofy's clumsy side compared to other things — except the goal of their quest. Perhaps he needed to inform the two they had work to do in this particular world.
"Yeah… but don't call them that. One of them might clobber you, Donald — just like when you clobbered me when I was a Heartless."
Donald glared at the brown, spikey-haired young man. "How come you couldn't forget about that?!"
"Well," Goofy broke in. "Sora did look like any other Heartless. Them Heartless look alike. I couldn't tell it was him neither."
"Yeah," Sora added. "And Donald told me, 'Confounded Heartless! Get lost, will ya?!' Good thing Kairi was there to bring me back. I might've been a Heartless forever!"
Donald yelled in anger at Sora's "detailed" recollection. Sora and Goofy burst out laughing. Launchpad stood off to the side and shook his head. "Aw gee," the pilot muttered to himself. "They get all the lucky adventures… "
There was a rustling in the trees. Launchpad spun his head to the right. He thought he could make out a silhouette of a person through the foliage. "Hey, who're you?"
There was another rustling in the trees. This one was louder than the first one. It also grabbed Sora, Donald, and Goofy's attention. They turned their focus to where the noise had originated.
"Huh?" Donald said aloud.
"What was that?" Sora asked.
Goofy gulped and tugged at his collar. "It could've been a Heartless, though Donald and I haven't seen none."
Sora glanced at the captain of the guard. "There are Heartless in this world," he stated. "Launchpad and I had to save some people in the village. Man! They were all over the place!"
"What?!" a startled Donald cried.
Sora summoned his Keyblade. "I'm gonna go check it out," he announced as he stepped up to the foliage. Donald and Goofy were no longer concerned about the hummingbird and raccoon; the two animals had run off anyway. Instead, the duck and tall dog both rushed into a spot behind Herbie's left wing. Launchpad pulled out the gas-gun he'd had earlier and pointed it towards the trees.
Sora's footsteps barely made any sound as he neared the foliage. He was about to slash his weapon around in an arc to clear a small patch of bushes when the rustling occurred again. He shuffled the plants aside and peered into the underbrush.
Sora stared in surprise. Hiding in the shadows of the bushes was a young woman with copper skin, long raven-black hair and twinkling, dark brown eyes. She was tall, slender, and barefoot.
Before he could see more, the woman rushed into the foliage and sped off in a hurry. "Wait!" Sora called. "Who are you?"
The woman kept running. This was not good enough for Sora. Not good enough at all! He sighed in irritation and ran after the stranger. Into the forest he went, hot on the trail. To his amazement, the woman was dodging trees, hopping over logs, and still sprinting away with lightning speed.
'No wonder,' Sora realized as he carefully jumped over a log. 'She's more familiar with this world than I am!'
The woman continued to flee. As Sora drew closer, a series of unmistakable sounds filled his ears. He ground to a halt and veered his eyes around. His mouth fell open. A small group of Heartless had appeared; among them were the falcons.
Sora glared at the enemies. "Outta the way!" he snarled. He swung his Keyblade this way and that, and that way and this. Within twenty seconds, the Heartless either been sliced out of existence, slammed into each other, or collided with the nearby trees. Sora didn't bother to deal with them all. He had to keep up with the young woman.
With some loud crunches, Sora's shoes crushed a few sticks near the edge of the trees. He ran out of the foliage. He stared up ahead. There was the young woman trying to paddle away on a canoe created from a hollowed out log. The raccoon and hummingbird were with her. Sora had to grin, knowing the two animals were most-likely this woman's friends.
"Hey!" he called. "Wait up!"
The woman stopped and spun her eyes around. She stared at Sora. The brown-haired seventeen-year-old could see fear written in her eyes. He glanced at his Keyblade before allowing the weapon to disappear from his right hand. He started to step closer to the woman. He could now tell she was wearing a buckskin dress with one shoulder strap. She also sported a red tattoo around her right shoulder, and she had a blue necklace containing a white stone around her neck.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," Sora said in an attempt to reassure the woman. He saw Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad emerging from the forest. The woman looked more terrified now. "It's okay. They're my friends."
He extended his hand out to the young woman. "Are you the chief's daughter?"
Donald and Goofy stared at each other. Had Sora not told them everything?
The woman looked at Sora a little funny. Then she accept his hand. At the same time, Sora could feel a slight breeze picking up. Bluish-green leaves were blowing along, with tiny yellowish seeds that seemed to glow when they hit the sunlight.
The woman smiled and allowed Sora to help her out of the canoe. "Yes," she said in plain English. "My name is Pocahontas. You scared me."
"Sorry about that," Sora apologized. "I didn't know who it was." At least he knew who this woman was. She was Chief Powhatan's daughter — Pocahontas. Now, all he wanted to know was why she was out and about when the Heartless were threatening the world's safety. He decided to get the introductions out of the way first.
"I'm Sora," he said, gesturing to himself. He gestured to the others behind him. "Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad."
Jiminy hopped onto the young man's shoulder. "And Jiminy," Sora quickly added.
"'Pocahontas'," Jiminy contemplated out loud. "Doesn't that mean 'Little Mischief'?"
Pocahontas nodded. She gave a smile. "I have never seen anyone like you around here."
"It's no big deal," Sora replied. His eyes turned to focus on the pair of animals watching from the canoe. "So, who are your friends?"
Pocahontas walked back to the canoe. She picked up the raccoon and carried him over to the group. "This is Meeko."
Goofy marched up and snatched his sandwich out of the raccoon's mouth. It was drenched and moldy, so he dropped it a moment later and pulled another one out of his other vest pocket.
Donald had to laugh when he saw Goofy's sandwich land in the river and float away. The tiny, green hummingbird saw this and soared up to the duck and started squeaking ferociously. Donald swung his hand at the little animal, but ended up striking nothing but air. "Get outta here, ya little palooka!"
The hummingbird gave one last squeak before flying over to Pocahontas. The young woman let the animal land on her finger. "Flit just doesn't like strangers," she told them.
"We're not strangers now," Sora said. "But I guess he's stubborn."
Pocahontas nodded. "Very stubborn."
Flit gave a shy squeak. This only made Sora think of how stubborn Donald tended to be. The duck was very distrusting of others, and this sometimes got him into trouble. He couldn't think of any actual times when this had happened, but he still knew it more-than-likely had taken place.
Sora shook his head to clear his mind and get back on track. "Pocahontas, why did you leave the village?"
"My father's the chief of our tribe," Pocahontas replied.
"Gawrsh," Goofy interrupted. "That makes you a princess then."
Pocahontas sighed. "That's the thing. My father wants me to marry Kocoum. But he's so… serious."
"I know what you mean," Sora acknowledged.
He still could not get the warrior's distrust-filled comments out of his head. It was no different than when he'd had to try to convince Phil he was hero material. Yet every step of the way, the satyr had refused to accept Sora, Donald, and Goofy as "True Heroes". First, he had declared them nothing more than "Junior Heroes" because they had knocked out Cerberus in the coliseum's arena. After they defeated Hades in the Underworld, a new constellation had been created in the sky above to honor their heroism. Of course, Phil had still refused to present them with the title of "True Heroes".
He had a flashback, recalling the last thing Phil had told him after the constellation had appeared in the sky far above.
Sora smiled at the constellation representing Donald, Goofy, and himself. He could see the duck and dog jumping up and down for joy.
"How about that, Phil?" Sora declared. "At least someone's accepting us as 'True Heroes'!"
"Yeah, well, it ain't gonna be me," Phil stated as he approached the three. Donald and Goofy turned their attention to the satyr. "And you know why?"
"Why not?" Donald inquired. Goofy nodded.
Phil held up two fingers on his right hand. "Two words. You're only… 'Honorary Heroes'!"
Sora, Donald, and Goofy sighed in disbelief.
"Aw shucks," Goofy deeply sighed.
Sora snapped back out of his pondering in time to say one more line. "I wouldn't want any of my daughters marrying someone like that."
"I didn't know you had daughters," Launchpad said to Sora. "What are their names?"
Donald snatched the pilot's scarf and pulled on it. Launchpad stared at the magician. "He doesn't have any kids!" Donald snapped. He paused. "Yet… "
Goofy covered his mouth to hide his snickering. Sora had to sigh deeper than normal. Those two would never forget how Kairi had kissed him. Then again, maybe they were thinking of how much he cared for Kairi. Or maybe it was the fact he liked her… no — that couldn't be it! Either way, Launchpad had still made a gawky misassumption.
Pocahontas gazed down at the river. The water was flowing gracefully along. "My father wants me to be steady," she told the group. "Like the river."
Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad walked up to the edge of the water. Through the corner of his eye, the spikey, brown-haired Keyblade wielder could see Herbie waiting about a quarter of a mile downriver.
There was a loud splash, followed by a pair of brown otters. Donald was so startled, he tumbled over and landed in the river. Meeko and Flit (who had been perched on Pocahontas's shoulders) fell from their places and landed on the riverbank.
"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed. "That was unexpected."
Pocahontas laughed. "But it's not steady at all."
The young woman climbed into her canoe before gesturing for Sora's team to join her. Sora glanced at his friends. They all shrugged, so he returned the gesture. One by one, they all climbed into the canoe which was large enough to fit at least two more people.
Pocahontas started paddling down the river. As she did, Sora could hear her chanting or singing… he couldn't decide which one it was. "What I love most about rivers is: You can't step in the same river twice. The water's always changing, always flowing."
She glanced at Sora with a shrug. "But people, I guess, can't live like that. We all must pay a price. To be safe, we lose our chance of ever knowing what's around the riverbend, waiting just around the riverbend."
By this point, the group was heading the middle of the river. Meeko was trilling along happily from the front of the vessel. The river's slow current carried the canoe past Herbie and further down the river. As they rounded a turn, Pocahontas continued to either chant or sing. "I look once more just around the riverbend — beyond the shore — where the gulls fly free. Don't know what for... what I dream the day might send just around the riverbend for me… coming for me."
A pair of otters splashed alongside the canoe. Goofy leaned out to see them and got splashed in the face. Donald started to laugh when Flit poked his bill. The two otters dove back underwater before emerging on a rock. The pair of animals lay there in the sun.
The journey along the river grew more and more calm. The sounds of birds twittering added to the sound of some small waterfalls the canoe was passing. Meeko and Launchpad both peeked through the falls. Some small fish came falling down and landed on their faces.
Pocahontas turned to Sora. "I feel it there beyond those trees or right behind these waterfalls."
Sora was perplexed. "Feel what?"
The distant sounds of drums caught the group's attention. Pocahontas sighed. "Can I ignore that sound of distant drumming for a handsome sturdy husband who builds handsome sturdy walls, and never dreams that something might be coming just around the riverbend?"
Sora was surprised. Was the native princess referring to Kocoum? He could not think of anyone else from the village who matched the description she'd just said, err… chanted or sang.
"What's with all this drumming?" Launchpad questioned. "It doesn't sound like a symphonic orchestra."
"The drums mean trouble," Pocahontas informed the group. "But it's okay. I know where to go. Those 'monsters' out there only come in certain places."
"Really?" Donald asked.
Pocahontas gave a simple nod.
That's when the river picked up speed. Up ahead, the water was descending over a cliff. Sora and his team stared in surprise, knowing this was a waterfall. They gazed at the young woman.
Pocahontas was smiling with excitement. "Just around the riverbend! I look once more just around the riverbend!" she declared in her singing (or chanting) style. The canoe plunged over the falls. Donald gulped anxiously as the descended rapidly.
There was a thunderous SPLASH as the canoe landed onto the water below. Fortunately for them, it had landed upright. Pocahontas masterfully steered the vessel along some raging rapids. "Beyond the shore," the young woman continued. "Somewhere past the sea. Don't know what for… "
The canoe neared an enormous rainbow. Before Sora knew it, they had travelled clear through the colorful display. Pocahontas was still singing/chanting away. "Why do all my dreams extend just around the riverbend? Just around the riverbend… "
The canoe suddenly came to a halt in the middle of the river. Sora and his friends saw Pocahontas was staring straight ahead with Meeko and Flit. They turned their eyes the same way and saw why.
The river was splitting into two directions. The one on the left was wide and gentle. The right one was all zig-zaggy and narrow.
"Should I choose the smoothest course," Pocahontas asked as she gazed over the side of the canoe. "Steady as the beating drum? Should I marry Kocoum? Is all my dreaming at an end?"
Sora glanced over the edge. He saw Pocahontas's reflection looking back with uncertainty. He noticed his own reflection was looking back with regret. When Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gazed into the water, their reflections all looked different, too. Donald's looked envious. Goofy's looked a little saddened. Launchpad's seemed both carefree and lonely.
The spikey, brown-headed young man started to think. He wondered… was this river having a magical effect on them?
The wind started to blow. Pocahontas looked up and into it. "Or do you still wait for me, Dream Giver," she said with a relieved smile. "Just around the riverbend?"
Sora and his teammates turned their focus to the native woman. She grabbed her paddle and started to row in the direction of the zigzagged stream. Down they went, veering right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, and so on and so forth.
Donald turned green, Goofy held onto the canoe's sides. Launchpad started to grow faint from all the turning.
Sora was too deep in thought to feel dizzy. His mind was wrapped around Pocahontas's personality. He could tell she was as free-spirited as his sister, Amemi. Playful and free-spirited. That was how he would describe the native princess.
He smiled, only to recall how he had not allowed his sister to come along. He sighed. Instead of worrying about it, Sora decided to focus on where Pocahontas was taking him and his friends. Only she knew where they were headed.
A/N: THERE YOU ARE! ANOTHER CHAPTER COMPLETED! AND WHAT A CHAPTER!
I am sure this is probably clear to you, but I will say it anyway. This world, JAMESTOWNE is based on the Disney Movie, "POCAHONTAS (1995)".
I understand a LOT of people dislike this movie, but I thought it was a rather good one. The animation, for instance, is excellent. It is clear to me that the movie's story was NOT intended to be historically accurate from the start. It WAS one of the few) Disney Movies to be based on a legend about someone who actually lived in our world. The other two being "Robin Hood (1973)" and "The Sword In The Stone (1963)".
Anyway, here is a List of Possible Questions you MIGHT be thinking!
(1.) Where's Captain John Smith?
(2.) Why are the Heartless running around?
(3.) Who is the mysterious stowaway?
(4.) Did Donald suddenly start trusting Goofy?
(5.) Why did Meeko take Goofy's sandwich?
(6.) When in the movie did Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad arrive?
(7.) Why is the world called "Jamestowne"?
(8.) Where did Pocahontas take Sora and his friends?
(9.) What happened to the fish Donald and Launchpad "caught"?
Most Importantly, WILL SORA EVER APOLOGIZE TO HIS SISTER?!
The Answers to at least MOST/SOME of these Questions MIGHT be revealed sometime in the next few Chapters.
Plus, the reason why I italicized Herbie's name in This Chapter was because I decided it would be nicer if it were so. It IS the name of the Gummi Ship/Racecar after all!
Yes, the "gas-gun" Launchpad used is Darkwing Duck's signature weapon from the "Darkwing Duck -TV Series-", which was a Spin-off of the "DuckTales -TV Series-".
As A Matter Of Fact, Pocahontas's name DOES mean "Little Mischief". It also means "The Naughty One".
In Addition, I HOPE you enjoyed how I included the Musical Segment of "Just Around The Riverbend"! That is one of my Favorite songs from "Pocahontas (1995)".
So Then, I'll See You All Next Time!
In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!
REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!
This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"